The Jokes of Fate
by Kit2000
Summary: The world is saved. Noel is depressed. Serah is getting married to Snow, and Hope is there to help Kreiss to find his true love. Hope/Light, Noel/... Read and find out! Non yaoi!
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N Well, this story is just an attempt to write something funny and relaxing. We have written 2 fanfics on this fandom before but they were in Russian and had more serious plot that this one. Actually, the idea for this fic came to us when we were listening to a sad Russian song "Serah the Gypsy". By the way, it has a great beat =) **_

_**As for the plot… well, let's say and believe that it doesn't truly connected to the game. It has some similarities, but still it feels like AU to us. **_

_**The main pairing here will be Noel and, you will find out later, but the second main pairing is Light/Hope, because we e really do love them together! **_

_**If you like our story, we will very glad and appreciate your time you've spent for reading it. English is not our native language, so please, sorry for the mistakes. **_

_**Please read and review! **_

**The Jokes of Fate**

**Chapter 1**

The world was saved. Don't ask how exactly it happened. It was a miracle that a bunch of people could actually save the whole world from a global destruction.

This story is not about the heroes' great deeds but about their lives.

It was a wedding day. Lots of guests gathered together to greet a couple with their special day. Snow and Serah were getting married! Finally! Everyone felt happy for them, except for one young man who was sitting at the table and watching the couple slicing a wedding cake.

He could still remember the feeling of her lips on his, how they moved smoothly against his own. The sensation was amazing. He had never felt anything so overwhelming as his first kiss that he gave to the girl he fell in love with during their dangerous journey.

Serah Farron. She was getting married to another man in front of his own eyes.

Snow had all rights for her. He was her fiancé from the beginning, so it was pretty logical that she would marry him after all.

Noel let out a very long sigh. The yesterday's conversation he had with the bride of the day echoed in his mind.

"Sorry for that kiss, Noel. It was a moment of weakness and it just happened that you were the only who comforted me. Thank you for your feelings, but I have never promised my heart to you. Snow was, is and will always be my hero."

And it was hard to hear and take. Now he really didn't know what he was doing there, in the world, in the time he had no right to exist.

The sore musings were interrupted by a friendly hand on his shoulder.

"So, why are you sitting here all alone, Noel?"

It was Hope. The young man took a sit and looked at the new-weds.

"They look great together. I have never thought that I would ever admit it, but they indeed belong together."

"_Oh, Hope, why did you come in the first place? Did you want to stab my heart even deeper?"_

But Kreiss did his best not to show his true feelings. A light smile, that was very hard to keep in place, was playing in his face when he spoke to Estheim.

"And where is Lightning? I thought you were together".

Hope's gaze softened, when he found the said girl in the crowd with his eyes.

"She doesn't like when people see her sensitive side. Her little sis is getting married today after all".

It was not long after the wedding ceremony when all the guests gathered in a nice restaurant. Snow ordered every man to drink a bottle of wine for his and Serah's happiness and for their future heirs. Some of the guests were alright with the condition, but two of them were depressed with the fact. But the groom insisted and they had no other choice but to fulfill his crazy request, closing their eyes to their instability to alcohol.

An hour later Noel and Hope were sitting at the distant table and were having a quiet conversation.

"I don't know how to live on, Hope. She was my everything. I don't belong to this time, I lost my love and I have nowhere to go!" the younger man sniffed and wiped his tears with a napkin. He felt so lightheaded and sensitive right now that his heart decided to speak everything out. And the one who was there to listen was Hope. The Director of the Academy tapped his friend's shoulder and looked at him with his hazy emerald eyes.

"Don't worry, Noel. I will help you. If Serah can't be with you, then all you need is to fall in love with another girl".

"How!? I will never love anyone else. She was the only one who touched my heart."

The brown-haired guy looked very sad. His love for Light's sister was pure and deep, not mentioning that it was his first romantic experience.

Hope on the other hand, had another point of view. He was drunk and he subconsciously felt it, but his smart brain tried its best to find a solution to Noel's misery.

"You know, I think I know how to help you. We will send you to the future", said the scientist with a triumphal smile.

"What for?" asked Noel, whose 6th sense was telling him that it was a very bad idea.

"You will never have Serah, admit it. But she will have kids. So I will send you to the future so you could fall in love with Serah and Snow's daughter! It's the best plan for you!"

It seemed that young Estheim was so enlightened with his own idea that he didn't want to hear anything. Not paying attention to Noel's slight attempt to protest, Hope took him by the arm and dragged to his Academy, where the time gates were situated.

"Do you think it will work? Actually, I am not sure that it's the best choice, Hope". Noel uttered hesitantly, looking at the time gates. His inner voice tried to call for his consciousness, but it was pointless since the alcohol did its job greatly by blocking any good sense.

"Of course it will work. I will give you my green bandana, so when you appear in the future you could find me and show it to me as a proof. Don't worry. Everything will be fine. You will find your happiness. I promise," with those words Estheim gave a green piece of fabric to the younger man and ripped a little thread of it, so the bandana could exist in two periods of time.

And so, without any other thought or even word, Noel was pushed into the gates and disappeared in a golden light instantly.

Of course if Hope was sober, he would have never done anything as crazy as sending the poor guy to uncertainty.

If Noel was sober, he definitely wouldn't have agreed to take a part in the experiment in the first place.

If Lightning was there she would have gladly knocked some sense into their intoxicated heads.

But…even a drunken man should always remember that sometimes jokes of fate found their places in people's lives.

_**A/N well, that's it. Sometimes we really get surprised about what people can do and make up to when they are drunk ^^'' **_

_**By the way, if you want to hear the song, just tell us and we will give you the link =)**_

_**Thanks for reading. Please review~**_


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N Well, here is the 2__nd__ chapter. We want to thank everyone who read the 1__st__ one and left their reviews. It means a lot to us, guys. Thank you sooo much!_

_So, let's read and find out what happens next~_

**The Jokes of Fate**

_**Chapte 2**_

20 years later…

For Noel this time journey felt like a minute. When he arrived at the right time Hope had sent him, the first thing the brown-haired guy saw was Academy Laboratory. He fell on the ground from the time gates and felt really dizzy. It seemed that the alcohol reaction was still affecting his system. Noel coughed and rolled on his back, staring at the metallic ceiling of the room. A pretty but blurry face of some scientist woman appeared above him. She was asking him something in a concerned tone but the young man couldn't quite comprehend what she wanted from him. All he managed to say was:

"What year is it? I need to meet Hope Estheim".

Some of the present scientists helped him to stand up and even offered him a glass of water, when a silver haired man entered the room.

"Director, this is the man I was telling you about! He fell from the gates!" the same woman who found Noel demanded in a hysterical tone.

"But time gates don't work anymore," replied the leader and stopped on his tracks when he noticed the stranger.

"Noel? Noel Kreiss?!" he exclaimed not believing his eyes.

"Director, do you know this person?" asked the woman, but Hope didn't hear her anymore. He ran to the younger man and stared at him like he was some kind of phenomena.

Meanwhile Noel was having a great shock. Hope looked older. Much older than he was at Serah's wedding just some minutes ago. Now he looked like a man in his early 40s.

"W-what time is it now?" was Kreiss's sudden question.

"It's 15.30, why?"

"No, I mean how much time has passed? What year I appeared in?"

Noticing a spirit of great curiosity among his subordinates, Hope took Noel by the arm and walked him to his private cabinet.

"It's very unexpecting to see you here now, Noel," Hope started, taking his place in the armchair.

"Yeah, but you are the one who sent me to this time. Will you tell me, how long has it been since you shoved me in the time gates?" aggravation could be heard in the younger man's voice. His head was spinning, hurting, exploding due to the hangover. His body was still under an intoxicating effect of the alcohol he drank at the wedding.

"If I'm correct, it's been 20 years already," Hope uttered thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.

"Well, I noticed that you look a lot mature," Noel barked in response, clutching his temples with both hands. "Why does it hurt so much?!"

"20 years is not a short period of time, you know. We all got older. Even Serah."

"I can't believe that I agreed to this crazy experiment! But I hope that my journey isn't fruitless, is it?!"

Estheim averted his eyes apologetically and Noel noticed that.

"What? Don't tell me that…Serah and Snow don't have children.." the guy's eyes widened in terror while he was pronouncing his thoughts.

"No-no. Everything is okay. They are fine, five of them live happily in the neighbor city," the silver-haired man hurried to soothe his friend.

"F-five?!" exclaimed the said friend, not believing in what he heard.

"Yeah, Snow and Serah have three kids. And they all look like their father, not mentioning that they are all boys…"

"…"

"…"

"… n-no way…" Noel slipped down the table in his seat. Suddenly, everything concerning the situation seemed so ridiculous and shameful to him that he decided to put the end to that accident.

"Send me back home, Hope. I am already fed up with this. If not to the day of Serah's wedding, than to the distant future I originally came from. I have nothing to do here, I don't belong to this time."

His outpouring of soul was interrupted by Hope's hesitating voice:

"If to be honest, I can't send you anywhere. The time gates refuse working. No matter what we did, we can't turn them on. It's a miracle that they teleported you here. So, this means that they can only receive and not send now", the last phrase was uttered in a thoughtful tone, as if Hope got in his scientific-mode.

"So, you mean, I can't go back to my time?" Noel coughed and covered his head with his hands depressively. "You are a loser, you know it?"

"I will think of how to help you, don't worry. We will find the way to cope with this problem" the older man tried to win his respectfulness back but Noel's sharp gaze from under his knotted eyebrows brought Estheim to reality.

"I don't believe you anymore, Hope. You lied to me!"

"No, I didn't!" the scientist protested. " I just forgot about the possibility that women may give birth to sons. And you did it too, by the way. So, it's not only my fault".

They fell silent. The both men were thinking hard on something personal, until Hope spoke again.

"Don't worry. It's not that bad after all. It's been only 20 years when it could have happened to be 100 or even 500. We will work something out."

"You sound not very convincing, but still I have no choice," Kreiss sighed and got silent again. Great sadness could be seen in his blue eyes.

"You will live at my house. I'm sure Claire will be glad to see you…again."

After saying that, Hope stood up and was about to take his jacket from the wardrobe, when he heard Noel's surprised tone.

"Claire? You mean…Lightning? You live with the legendary Lightning?!"

Hope felt a drop on his temple.

"Well, actually I don't only live with her, I have being married to her for the past 19 years now".

No questions were asked after that statement. There were too many surprises, too many things that just didn't make any sense to Noel. He knew that Hope was fond of Lightning, but he didn't know that he was that serious about her. The news about him being married to her was a real shock.

But the biggest heart attack happened when Kreiss crossed the threshold of the Estheims' mansion and met the legendary knight dressed in a knee-length gown and puffy slippers. She looked different, older and more feminine if to be exact. Her hair was longer than before and it reached her elbow in a slightly wave manner. Her complexion was notable too, since the last time he saw her she was very slim and svelte. Now she looked as if she gained some weight but it didn't ruin the whole image of her appearance, on the contrary, her beauty was sparkling, as if she was blooming like a rose.

Then his gaze fell on her belly unconsciously and everything became clear to him. Lightning was pregnant, and she was on her last months of bearing a child.

"Well, hello, Noel. It's unexpected, but I am glad to see you," her melodic voice interrupted the uncomfortable silence in the corridor. "I understand your confusion to see me like this, but say thanks to the man who is standing next to you. It's all his fault that I'm in such a homely state".

Noel automatically turned his head to look at Hope only to see the older man blushing like a high-school student on his first date.

"I-I'll go to change. I'll be right back," and he ran upstairs, disappearing behind a corner.

"It's nice to see you too, Lightning. If to be honest, it's an honor to meet you again," he said truthfully. This woman was an outstanding person and seeing her in a role of wife was unusual. But he smiled at her sincerely and she returned the gesture.

"Somehow, I feel like my dear husband is connected to your sudden appearance. I need to find out what reckless thing he has done. Please, feel yourself at home. I will leave you for a short while."

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll wait here."

The woman nodded and headed upstairs to have a serious talk to her beloved.

The Estheims' mansion was huge, but very cozy. It felt like being at home. There was an inviting atmosphere in the air and Noel gave in to it and started observing the nearest room that was a living-room. He took one of the objects from the table, that happened to be a decorative knife. And it wasn't the only representative of a kind; there were lots of different cold weapons around the room, some of them were hanging on the walls, other ones lay on the shelves. To Noel, this discovery caused him to feel a huge drop on the temple.

While he was examining the unique knife in his hands, the front door opened and someone entered the house. Kreiss went to the sound and saw a female, taking off her jacket and hanging it on the clothes hanger. The first thing the young man noticed was her long pink hair which reminded him of Serah's. Actually all her complexion and the way she moved told him that it was indeed Serah, but he couldn't see her face since she was standing with her back facing him.

The temptation was too strong to resist and Kreiss didn't even notice when his lips moved on their own.

"S-serah?!"

The female turned around sharply by the sound of unfamiliar voice and stared at the stranger in her house.

"Who are you?" she asked politely, yet sternly. She had never seen this person before, but still there was something acquainting about him.

And only now did he felt himself embarrassed. It wasn't Serah. She didn't even look like her, yet there were lots of similarities. This girl was young and according to what Hope had said, it had been 20 years already since the day he saw Serah for the last time. The girl he was looking at now was much younger than 40 years old. She had long pink hair, the length of which was just like Lightning's. And there were a pair of bright emerald eyes on her pretty face that were piercing him with their expressive gaze.

"I-I….I'm Noel Kreiss" he felt himself really stupid for losing his gift of speech all of sudden.

The girl made a little nod and respond:

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Kreiss. My name is-"

"Welcome back, sweetheart!" a sudden voice interrupted her speech. It was Hope, who was dressed in a casual pants and sweater now and was going downstairs in Lightning's company. When they reached the corridor, the lady of the house said:

"I see that you have already met each other. This is Noel Kreiss. He is a distant relative of ours and he came here to help your father in his researches," Light was sending quick and meaningful glances to her husband, while speaking.

"Noel, this is our daughter Nora," added Hope, introducing his heiress to the younger man. "Nora, Noel will live with us for some time, so I hope you will get along well".

The girl just blinked several times, before sending her parents a confused gazed.

"I am alright with it, but you could have let me know beforehand about it".

"Sorry, dear, it was a very urgent case," answered Hope, rubbing the back of his neck in perplexity. Actually, it was a miracle that his daughter agreed to everything they said. Sometimes she had her mother's temper, but in this situation Hope's genes won.

"The dinner will be in 15 minutes," Light announced and headed back to the kitchen. She wasn't oh so happy with the result of Hope's stupid plan "to help Noel to find his true love", she couldn't even imagine how Hope came up with the idea of sending the guy to the future! But the nuisance had been already done and the only thing they could do was finding a way to deal with the problem.

Everyone was almost silent during the dinner. Lightning offered Kreiss to sleep in the living room that night until they prepared a room for him. So, after some time everyone went to their bedrooms. But Noel couldn't sleep. His nervous system was too strained and he couldn't close his eyes and get some rest. The guy walked to the bookshelf and found a family photo-album. He flipped through several pages and watched the history of the Estheims. There were Hope and Clair's wedding photo, there were group photos and Serah was among the people in the picture. A tightening feeling appeared in his chest when he was looking at those memorable shots. On the next page he saw smiling Hope holding blushing Lightning in his arms, and there was an inscription under the photo:

"_The moment when we found out that there will be three of us soon"_

They looked so young and really happy on that photo. Maybe it was for the best that he was holding the Estheims' photo-album in his hands and not the Villers'. Somehow, he thought it would be unbearable to look at the happiness in Serah's eyes, the happiness that another man gave to her. The one she loved.

A dark aura appeared around the guy and he was ready to meet his depression when light footsteps echoed in the corridor. There was no door separating the living-room from the corridor, so Noel could see everyone who passed by his temporary ownership. But also the one who walked down the hall could see everything the guest was doing.

And that night wasn't an exception.

She stopped by the aperture of a door and looked at the dark-haired young man, who looked lost and thoughtful.

When he noticed her presence, the guy shuddered and quickly put the album back on the shelf as if he was some kind of a thief.

"Sorry, I couldn't sleep and-" he started apologetically, but was interrupted by a friendly gentle voice.

"I am going to the kitchen to drink some milk, would like to join me?"

He was surprised to get the offer, but he couldn't decline it.

"With great pleasure," a light smile touched his lips as he followed the girl to the kitchen and sat at the same table with her.

They talked for almost an hour. Actually it felt like a nice friendly chat with someone you knew for your whole life. Nora was an easygoing and smart person, just like her father, but sometimes she became very serious during their talk and it reminded him of Lightning. Nora was a perfect combination of her parents. She took everything from both parents in equal parts.

Also she showed him another photo-album, where lots of Serah and Snow's photos were kept.

"Aunty Serah is really nice and sweet. Too bad they moved to the neighbor city, but uncle Snow set up a business there and they had to separate from us. These are my cousins. The youngest is 15 now," she said pointing at a blond teenager with a complacent smile in the picture.

Hope said the truth. All Serah's sons looked just like Snow. There were no similarities to their lovely mother, which can't be said about Nora. The girl inherited her mother's hair, beauty and gracefulness, while she had her father's eyes, intellect and discretion.

"Yes, Serah is a precious person…" he said that out loud and understood his mistake only when his interlocutor looked at him with great interest.

"You know aunty Serah? Oh, yeah, I forgot. You are our distant relative so it's pretty obvious that you know her," she smiled, showing her straight white teeth. "I wonder why _**I**_ haven't known about your existent. Why didn't dad told me about you before?" a pink eyebrow arched over an emerald eye. Nora had an instant piercing gaze, the same one Lightning had. Those eyes could look into your soul and you had no chance to stand against them.

"Tell me about uncle Snow. What business does he run?" Noel asked. A sudden change of theme confused the girl a little, but she answered in a friendly manner.

"He built up a company that trains governmental bodyguards. He called it NORA, and I was really depressed thinking that my parents named me after some university where musclemen study to protect famous people. But then they said that I have my grandmother's name. Dad's mother was Nora too? But she died when he was just 14."

They felt silent, but Noel could clearly see a warm yet sad whirlpool of emotions in the girl's eyes. She loved her family, it was obvious.

Also he knew that night that Lightning's pregnancy was an unexpected event in the family.

"She was so mad at dad. If you could only see how she scolded him. I felt really sorry for him, but he was so happy when she told him the news. No matter how mad mom can be at my dad, he is always the only one who can calm her down. I don't know how does he do it? But it's like he has that hidden magical charm when it comes to soothing."

"But why does your mother react so aggressively? Doesn't she want a child?" Noel could not take the statement that Lightning was against giving a birth to her heir.

"You see…actually she is very excited too and I noticed that she can't wait for the day she will be able to see my sibling. It's just…my mom is a military woman, she is a colonel of military forces in our country and she loves fighting. There was not a single day when she didn't find a place to have a good fight. She is bored when she is at home, and now dad forbad her to hold anything heavier than a kitchen knife in her hands. It makes her fly into a rage. But yesterday, it was a Sunday morning, I was sitting in my room, when I heard some strange noise outdoors. I looked at the window and saw my mom holding dad's boomerang in her hand, ready to throw it. I don't know where she found it, I am sure that dad hid all the weapons from her, but, it seems that she has found one of his hoards. Dad was away and he wasn't going to appear any time soon that time, but something happened and he came back home exactly at the time, when mom was about to practice using his boomerang. She was about to throw it when dad rose behind her and took her arm down. Oh, she was about to bit him up at the moment, but, as I said earlier, he used his charms to calm her down, offering to teach her how to use his weapon. And for the whole hour he showed her the techniques of throwing boomerangs. In the end, the whole scene looked like this: my dad was an instructor, and my mom was a spectator. He didn't give her a chance to use his boomerang after all, but she didn't even notice it, since she was too impressed with his skills," Nora finished her story, laughing lightly. "It was priceless to see!"

Noel thought that for Lightning it must be really hard not to have her daily practices. But Hope did a great job by entertaining her and preventing her from any stressful situations.

The young Estheim glanced at the clock and gasped.

"It's 3 a.m. already! I have to go to the University in the morning!" she stood up, rinsed her glass qickly and turned to the guy she had met just some hours ago.

"Sorry, but I have to go to sleep. I have a project to be done. It was nice to talk to you, but I hope you will tell me more about yourself next time, okay?" with a smile on her face she wished him good night and ran upstairs.

Kreiss grinned to himself. Nora was just like Serah, a very easygoing and talkative person with a kind heart. Just like her aunt, she met him friendly and didn't ask questions about his life.

Nora Estheim…

Who could predict that he would be held up in the future where Serah had 3 sons and legendary heroine Lightning had a daughter, that reminded him of her younger sister? Hope couldn't, that was a fact in evidence.

_A/N so, this is how the 2__nd__ chapter ended. We hope you like the plot. We try to make it relaxing and funny. As far as we are concerned, we don't like OC in the stories based on some fandoms, but we just felt like this story needs a new character, so Nora Estheim is our OC. We would like to know if you like her personality. Can you imagine her easily? Does she need any more descriptions? In any rate, we hope that you don't mind her, since she will be a part of this story._

_Thank you for reading and spending your free time on our story. Please, review!~_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N Wow, sorry for the delay. We've been on a business trip and had no much of free time to write, but we are glad to update today. Thank you very much for reading and leaving your reviews, guys! You can't imagine how glad we are that you like our story! We appreciate your time you spent on reading the fic. We hope that you will like it till the end.**_

_**And now, please enjoy the 3**__**rd**__** chapter!~ And don't forget to review ^_^**_

**The Jokes of Fate**

**Chapter 3**

It's been a month since Noel appeared in the future and there was no progress in repairing the time gates. During all that time, Kreiss lived in the Estheim's mansion and couldn't complain about anything at all. On the contrary, everyone treated him like a good friend or even a relative. Lightning was like a mother to him now, and he was catching himself on a thought that it would be really great to be her son. He liked to spend time with her, when she was at home. Noel tried to be useful so he helped her with tidying up and cooking.

Also he learnt that Lightning was crazy about fighting. Well, he was told about it before, but he didn't truly believe it until he witnessed it with his own eyes. One day he came "home" and saw the Estheims' daughter watching something with interest. The scene took place in the living room Noel used to live on the first day of his arrival. The guy was about to ask the pink-haired girl what was going on, when he noticed two holograms fighting in the centre of the room. It was Lightning and Hope's doppelgangers and it looked like they were having a duel. Thanks to the mega-large size of the room they could do acrobatics and show their skills in fencing and boomeranging. Noel's jaw dropped on the floor literary. He was not ready to see the destruction of the house, but Nora was there to explain him everything. She sensed his presence from the beginning.

"Dad gave mom this virtual console for her Birthday several months ago. It shows her imagination and analyzes her thoughts, so we can see what she is thinking right now and even hear her thoughts. Dad invented 2 virtual helmets so he could play with mom too. But it seems that they got carried away a little. Dad doesn't let mom hold any weapon during pregnancy since it's heavy and dangerous, but she can use it while playing this computer game she has created herself. Poor dad, just look what she is doing to him!"

And it was true, Light took Hope's neck in a dead lock and it was obvious that he was going to lose the game.

Noel couldn't look at the violence before his eyes and shifted his gaze to a sofa only to notice two smiling faces of the Estheims. It made him sweatdrop. The holograms were killing each other in the centre of the room, while their owners were sitting on the sofa and shining in anticipation and excitement, like kids. And the next moment a sly smirk appeared on Hope's lips. His hologram managed to break free from the deadly lock and took his opponent by surprise by pressing her body to his in a firm but loving embrace. Suddenly, the tango melody filled the room and Hope started to lead his wife in a fierce dance.

"This is the charm of soothing I told you before. Mom didn't expect such turn judging by expression of embarrassment on her face," said Nora watching her parents play their unique game. An amusing smile touched her lips when she witnessed how her father bent her mother, catching the rhythm, and kissed her fully and gently.

"I think we need to go before they find out that we are spying on them".

The life in the Estheim's mansion was filled with surprises. Due to Light's pregnancy, everything was spinning around her. She was the main theme in the house.

But also Noel appreciated those rare minutes he could share with the Estheim's daughter. Nora was a busy girl, she was following her father's steps in science and had good results in her projects, but one day she came home in a cheerless mood. She tried not to show her depression and it worked on her parents that were too busy enjoying each other's company, but Noel could see through her built façade and got really concerned about her well-being.

"Okay, kids, I am going to take mom to the cultural exhibition of ancient swords, so we will leave you for couple of hours," announced Hope, standing up after the dinner.

It was Saturday evening and Lightning was waiting for that event for the whole week. She missed her sword a lot and her misery could be easily cured with getting good emotions. And Hope knew how to give them to her.

"Enjoy your time," uttered Noel, still blushing after hearing himself being called a kid.

"I'll be in my room. I have a project to be done by Monday," Nora said emotionlessly, leaving the kitchen and heading upstairs. "Have a nice time there".

Noel couldn't but feel confused by her strange behavior. Was she sick or anything? He wanted to follow her but decided to see the married coupled off first.

The time traveler still couldn't believe his eyes, when he saw Lightning smiling at her husband in excitement, her eloquent gaze was telling that she adored Hope at the moment. Noel was sure that her hands were itching to hold a cold weapon and feel its weight again. That exhibition was the best opportunity to fulfill her desires.

After wishing a nice trip to them, Noel headed upstairs and knocked on the girl's door.

"Nora, are you there? May I come in?" he asked, waiting patiently for her answer. When she opened the door, he felt relieved. She looked at him with her bright emerald eyes in a mute question.

"I was thinking…since it's a day off and we are both home, maybe you would like to go somewhere?" he was shocked himself that those words left his mouth. Actually, he didn't plan to ask her out, but when he met those sad eyes, he couldn't think of any other way to cheer her up.

"Thank you for the offer, but I have a project to do-"

"Nora, you need to get some rest. You work too much, just like your father," the guy insisted. "How about going to the cinema? I think I saw an advertisement of a new movie on TV…"

His brain worked fast to catch any possibilities to gain her interest, and when he noticed a glint in her green eyes, he couldn't but sigh in relief.

"Sounds good to me," she said finally, a small smile playing on her rosy lips. "Give 15 minutes. I need to change".

"I'll be downstairs," he answered and headed to the living-room. Noel felt strange, he wasn't supposed to ask for her company, but somehow he felt like he needed to do something for her. She faced some problems, it could be easily seen in her behavior, but he didn't understand why her parents didn't notice it. Were they so blind to see that their own child was troubled about something?

His hard musings were interrupted by light footsteps. Nora looked lovely in her gentle pink dress. She approached Noel and smiled at him.

"I am ready. Let's go?"

The guy nodded and they headed to the front door.

The movie was a nice one. It had dramatic plot but the end was good and happy. After the movie, they decided to eat some ice cream but the easy atmosphere that Noel had been creating during their little meeting was ruined with some random guy's appearance. Nora's mood fell to the same zero point it had been before the movie.

It happened that the guy was from the University she was studying at, and he was interested in her person so much, that he decided to win her heart by declaring his so called love to her via speakerphone. She felt ashamed and embarrassed to no end, not mentioning that she didn't like the guy at all. He was greedy and selfish and he was too pushy. His declaration humiliated her, she could easily feel curious gazes of other students on her at the University.

And now he was approaching them with a growl.

"Please, Noel, let's go. I don't want to see that person," she said pleadingly, tugging Kreiss by the sleeve.

"But who is he? Why are you afraid of him?" he demanded, refusing to go. If that guy was the reason of her depression, then Noel had no other choice but to teach him some manners. And to some strange point, Noel felt like he was right in his suppositions.

"Let's not talk about it. I am not in the mood to face him right now."

"Is he somehow connected to the way you behave today? Tell me the truth, Nora!"

She looked up and placed her teary eyes on his face.

"Please, Noel, I am begging you…"

"Hey, Estheim!" they heard the guys irritated voice behind them. "How should I take it, seeing you in another man's company?!"

Noel didn't like the tone he was talking to the girl. Actually it made him angry.

"How dare you speak with her in such a rude tone? I don't know who you are, but you have no right to address to her like that!"

The guy's eyes widened at first but then they narrowed in irritation and rage.

"Mind your own business! She is my woman!"

"Stop it, you two!" the sound of a high pitch girl's voice echoed in the café they were standing. "I am not your girlfriend and will never be. I though I've told you already this morning."

The guy wanted to say something but Noel cut his intentions with a sharp gaze of his blue eyes.

"I'm warning you. Stay away from Nora or else you will face _my_ rage".

"Who are you to her to speak so highly?"

Nora held her breath suddenly. She was eager to hear Kreiss's next words.

"It's none of your business, but she is someone too precious to me to let someone like you disturb her life, so don't even dare to think about her in inappropriate way," Noel said coldly, taking young Estheim's hand in his and exiting the café.

Looking at their intertwined fingers, Nora couldn't but feel shy. A light blush appeared on her face when she remembered the way Noel had called her.

"_Someone precious". _

Her heart felt light, knowing that she wasn't no one to him. Actually, Nora got surprised and excited when he came to her after dinner and asked if she wanted to spend some time with him. It felt so unreal yet so natural. During the time she had known him, Nora caught herself on a thought that she started to feel something for her distant relative.

"Alright," Noel stopped by the fountain in the park and turned to look at the silent girl. "Now you will tell me everything. Something troubles you and don't try to deny it, Nora," he said in determination, trying to look in the girl's eyes.

But she refused to meet his gaze that was too piercing to fight.

"How did you know?" was all she could utter, glancing at her hand still held by his.

"I'm not blind, you know," he rolled his eyes.

"But my parents didn't see it," suddenly her voice sound very sad. "Maybe it's for the best that they didn't notice. I don't want to be a burden to them…"

"Snap out of it, Nora!" he shouted, shaking her by the shoulders. Her hand felt a lack of his warm palm. "What made you think that way? Who said you were a burden to anyone!?"

She shook her head while shutting her eyes. Why did he have such sincere eyes?!

"They are too busy to notice my problems. I am all alone and I can't get used to it. They are going to have a child and start a new life, but there will be no place for me. Nothing will be the same way as it was before. I wanted to ask for a piece of advice, but every time I came to them, they were too busy with each other, so I had no guts to interrupt their talks. "

Nora started to tremble a little while saying her speech. She had no one to talk about her problems and now, when Noel was asking for explanations, she couldn't but split out everything her heart had kept.

He wanted to say something, but she continued her monologue.

"I think that I was quite good in hiding my feelings and uncertainties from the others. Even you didn't notice it until today. "

"And what happened today?" he couldn't but ask.

Nora chuckled sarcastically and averted her eyes to the side, still refusing to look at Noel's face.

"That guy was the last drop. He has been trying to make me his girlfriend for a year, but only today he decided to tell the whole University about his undying love to me. If only it could be called love in the first place. He thinks that I'm his toy".

She fell silent and he had nothing to say. Noel was surprised to know that he didn't notice her hardships earlier. Nora was all alone facing the problems people usually coped with after talking to someone older and wiser.

"Sorry, if only I knew…"

"It's alright," the girl smiled sadly, interrupting his intentions to speak. "I know that I am an egoist, feeling abandoned by my parents. I am happy for them, I really am, it's just…I miss their attention they used to give me before mom said that she was pregnant. And dad…he is giving his all to mom and his researches so he has no time to give advices to me anymore."

"But it's not right," Noel's voice felt comforting. "Maybe they got a little over-excited with the idea of becoming parents again, but still they should remember about your existence too".

"I said it's alright. I don't blame anyone, the problem lies in me, I guess. I needed to discuss this subject with someone but I don't really have a friend to talk about personal problems to. "

Only now she could lift her face and look him in the eyes that were gazing at her understandingly.

"Thank you for taking me to the cinema today. It seems that I really needed to get some fresh air and not let my depression devour me. You are a real friend, Noel."

She smiled at him sincerely and the next moment she felt herself wrapped in a gentle embrace of his strong arms.

"And you are a very strong-spirited girl. I know how it feels to be alone, and unlike you, I can't hide my true feelings behind a cheerful façade. "

His actions shocked her. The girl felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter, she was burning in embarrassment, but still it felt really good to be held like that. Only Noel had such intensive effect on her and she really wanted to ask a question she longed to ask him for a long time. Even if it meant to ruin this magical moment.

"Noel… who are you?"

Her sudden question was like a thunder in a cloudless sky.

The young man took a step back, releasing her from his embrace and sending her an inquiring look.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed, but refused to break their eye contact. Now it was him who was afraid to look in her expressive eyes, which could see wavering in his emotions.

"I knew from the very beginning that you are not our relative. I checked all the files, but we don't have anyone who has your surname in our genealogy. To prove my point, I have finally recalled where I have seen your face before. You were at aunty Sera and uncle Snow's wedding photo. And you looked there exactly like you look right now".

Oh boy! Where did she gain that very keen insight?! Oh, yes…she was Hope and Light's daughter after all…

Noel stood there looking at her with wide eyes. He didn't know what lie to tell to make her believe that she has just confused him with someone, but then he thought that she deserved to know the truth. And when he was about to open his mouth to explain everything, Nora's cell phone rang and she had to break the captivity, she held him in with her eyes.

It was Hope calling.

"Dad?" Nora answered her phone. Noel witnessed how her calm expression changed into concerned one. "Mom's in the hospital?! The labors started? Where are you?"

Kreiss walked to the girl and squeezed her free hand in encouragement. He understood that Lightning was delivering her child right now and they had to make it to the hospital as soon as possible.

When they reached the said building, they rushed to Hope's side, who was sitting on the bench with his face down in the waiting room.

"Hope!" cried Noel, catching the older man's attention.

"Dad, how is mom?" asked Nora in a concerned tone.

Hope looked up at her with teary eyes.

"She is losing too much blood, the doctors are struggling for her life," each word was hard to pronounce, since Hope tired his best not to sob. Nora had never seen her father in such a dispirited state. The girl shot her head up and threw her gaze on the doors of the delivery room, where her mother was facing the main challenge—she was fighting for her and her child's lives.

"Mom…" the girl whispered, covering her mouth with her palm. It was too much for her nervous system for one day. Her head was spinning, a wet curtain clouded her eyes, and the images of the worst outcomes were popping in her mind. She couldn't take it anymore!

Young Estheim turned on her heels and ran outside, covering her face with both hands and leaving two men in the waiting room. She reached a little park-zone behind the hospital and stopped by a giant tree, which she hugged and showed her weakness to by bursting into uncontrollable tears. Nora was afraid for her mother's life so much. Seeing her father all sad and lost was the last drop for her nervous system. She tried to be strong for too long and now her perfect façade cracked and broke into pieces.

A loud sob escaped her mouth as she thought of her parents. She was so scared to be left alone or lose anyone of them. She needed them in her life so much! But right now she felt useless and abandoned. The girl didn't know what to do in this situation. All she wished and prayed for was her mom's safety.

Nora didn't notice when someone approached her from behind, but then sudden warmth enveloped her back and concentrated on her shoulders. It was him. She sensed with some 6th sense, that it was Noel.

"If you need a cry shoulder, don't hesitate to use mine," his meaningful words were spoken in a whisper, but they hit the bull's eye.

Nora turned in his arms and hugged the guy by his torso, pressing her face to his firm chest. She cried silently, her shoulders trembled with each soundless sob, her tears wetted his shirt but Noel didn't mind it at all. He stroked her hair soothingly and let the girl cry all her misery out.

When Nora calmed down a little, she said quietly:

"I can't imagine my life without even one of them. If anything happens to mom, I don't know how I will live."

"You mother is strong, she will make it. Lightning is the legendary heroine, she has to make it!" Noel's voice was emotional, but he tried to sound confident. He came to support the girl after all, and not to show her his own apprehensions.

"Even if she was Etro's knight, she is still a human, a wife, a mother… " her grip on the fabric of his shirt tightened as emotions started to take the lead of her body again.

Kreiss couldn't stand seeing Nora like that. It was too painful to watch this strong girl lose her spirit. He took her by the chin and lifted her face up so he could look in her eyes. They were shiny from the tears, but yet the orange sunset was reflecting in the depths of her emerald mirrors of soul.

"You have to trust your mother, believe in her. She needs your faith!" he said sincerely. "You are not alone, Nora. You have your dad and he needs your support right now like never before."

Her pupils widened a little as the realization hit her mind. She had left her dad to face grief all alone. What kind of a daughter was she after doing so?!

The girl looked into Noel's eyes with a concerned expression.

"I have to go to his side. I…I am such a coward! How could I leave him in such a minute?" she was about to break the hug, when suddenly Kreiss pressed her small form to his body in a gently embrace.

"I don't know if I will be able to tell you the truth afterwards, but I think you should know the it. I am not your relative. I am just a person, who owes your mother his life, his destiny, his future. Your father sent me to this time when I have no rights to be here. But soon, I will go back to where I belong. Please, forgive me for all the lies", he uttered and freed the girl by letting go of her warm body and stepping back. He was afraid to look in her eyes and see any signs of disapproval. He knew it was her right to feel disgusted after all the lies he told her. He was ready to hear her scolding but nothing of it followed. But the next moment he felt a brief warm touch to his cheek and Nora's sweet voice by his ear:

"Thank you for telling me the truth".

With those words she turned on her heels and headed to the hospital to join her father in the waiting room. Noel stood near the tree, pressing his palm to his cheek where Nora left her chaste kiss. He watched her retreating figure and couldn't believe that she forgave him so easily and took him for what he truly was. A deep blush fell on his cheeks as the guy unexpectedly realized that his heart was feeling the same way for Nora right now as it felt for Serah some time ago.

When he returned to the waiting room 20 minutes later, he was met by the Estheims' cheerful faces. They were hugging each other and laughing at the same time. Those smiles could tell only one thing.

"Everything is alright now. Claire and our daughter are safe!" exclaimed Hope, seeing surprised Noel in the corridor.

Nora, who was hugging her dad, couldn't see Kreiss's expression since her back was facing him, but when she heard her father talking to someone, she realized that it was Noel. Somehow, she sensed his presence and couldn't confuse it with someone else's. She released the older Estheim and turned to look at the man who inspired her with hope in a crucial moment.

Noel held his breath when he met her gaze. She was looking at him with so much gratitude, warmth, gentleness and something else he couldn't describe with words.

"Mom did it. She won the fight of her life," Nora said softly, but great sense was hidden behind her words, and Kreiss understood her like no other. There was a mute conversation between their souls that would have lasted for a long time if only a loud voice that belonged to the legendary heroine didn't interrupt the atmosphere.

"Hope Estheim! You will pay for this!"

_**A/N the end of the 3d chapter. The next one will be the last one (we hope). Please, don't be silent. Tell us about your impressions. We want to know your opinion, guys. **_

_**Thank you for reading! Please, review! Your feedbacks helps us to write faster~**_


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N So, here we are! And we brought the last chapter! Sorry for not updating for so long. We had lots of things to do, like finishing one of our stories that we have been writing for 2 years O_O **_

_**We are glad that this fanfiction didn't take us that long to be written. We want to thank everyone who read this story and left their review! Though, we want more reviews haha… but still, we are very grateful to you, guys, for spending your time on our story. **_

_**We hope you will like the ending and tell us about your impressions! **_

_**And now, please enjoy the 4**__**th **__** and the final chapter of this story!~ **_

**The Jokes of Fate**

**Chapter 4**

Hope wasn't a lucky person when it came to Lightning's mood swings. As a director of Academy, the legendary heroine's husband and a hero in the past himself, Estheim was allowed to visit his sweetheart in the hospital and see his newborn daughter. He didn't meet the wee one in person but watched her through a thick surface of a window. It was a miracle how similar she looked to her father. Nora inherited her mother's appearance mostly, while the youngest Estheim decided to look just like her father. A nurse said that even her eyes were the same green colour as his, not to mention her hair.

And it disappointed Clair a little. Well, at first she suffered while delivering the baby, it was too painful, then she nearly died from a blood loss, and when she finally wake up, the legendary knight found out that she had given a birth to another Hope Estheim of female gender. Light loved her little daughter, but she was ready to give a heavy punch in Hope's face and all his genes.

However, all her irritation vanished in thin air the moment she crossed the threshold of her house, carrying her daughter in her arms a week later.

Hope was the one who brought his beautiful wife and child home and he was praised for doing so with a tender kiss. Somehow he managed to get back his respectfulness in his wife's yes again. The soothing charm worked again.

Noel and Nora stayed at home that day to prepare the house for a big celebration. They made a perfect duet doing all the cleaning, cooking and decorating. They laughed and cheered each other up but whenever their skins touched, both jerked away and blushed, averting their eyes.

Noel understood that he fell in love with Hope and Light's daughter, but after his bitter experience with Serah, he was afraid to be left heartbroken again. There was no guarantee that Nora would return his feelings. That was why he tried to escape any opportunity of accidently touching her skin. Being in her company made him feel happy and needed, so he decided…if Hope didn't find a way to send him back to his time, he would rather hide his feelings from Nora and just be her good friend. It was what his brain told him, but his heart had another point of view.

When all the family gathered together, everyone was ready to start celebrating, but the Villers were still on their way to the Estheims' mansion. That was the time when Hope asked Noel to help him bring some wine. It appeared to be only pretence. When they stayed alone in the wine cellar, the older Estheim informed Noel that he had found out the way to turn on the time gate. He hadn't tried it yet but he was sure that his hypothesis would be a success. Kreiss had no chance to say anything because the next second they heard Snow's loud voice coming from the corridor.

Something pinned Noel's heart after hearing great news, but he decided to think about it later.

It happened that neither Serah nor Snow knew about Noel's arrival, so they were very surprised to see him all young and handsome. However, the shock didn't last long as Snow's huge arms hugged the guy in a friendly manner, it made Noel start chocking though.

Serah was as beautiful as he remembered her 20 years ago. She got older of course, but still she had that atmosphere of kindness and loveliness around her. Also Kreiss was introduced to young Villers. The boys were behaved, Noel noted. All thanks to Sarah's influence. They were like 4 drops of water with their father, but the kindness and politeness were inherited from their mother.

Everyone gathered at the table to celebrate the new member's of Estheim family birthday. The meal was eaten gratefully and the wine was sipped slowly. All two families were in high mood, only a young brown-haired man felt like he didn't belong here. He wasn't a part either Hope's or Serah's family, he felt like being caught between two different dimensions. Maybe if he drank some wine, his thoughts wouldn't be so miserable, but after Snow and Serah's wedding young Kreiss promised to himself to never drink alcohol in his life again, because the result of the previous experience was too obvious.

With a long sigh he looked at Nora, who had a chit-chat with her aunt. They looked very much alike, when you had an opportunity to watch them together. A bitter smile touched his lips. Perhaps Nora and her aunt had similarities not only in their appearance and behavior but also in love affairs. The only single thought that Nora would find out about his feelings for her and reject them made him hopeless. His gloomy mood was far too different to a cheerful one that filled the house. So Kreiss decided to leave the celebration and get a gulp of fresh air. He could come back some minutes later after all.

And it really helped. The cool night air refreshed his head a little. The guy started to muse about his destiny. Being caught in this time was a mistake. But why did he have that slightest protest in his heart whenever he tried to think about returning to his time? Everything was so tangled.

"Here you are," he heard a familiar voice that belonged to the girl he developed deep feeling for. "Why did you leave?"

Well, it was a serious question and he knew the answer, but he couldn't voice the truth.

"I…" Noel started, turning around to face her. "I thought no one would notice my absence, so I came here to think a little".

She chuckled, walking closer to him.

"Of course I noticed. It feels empty without you around," the girl stated as a matter of fact, and her words forced a swirl of butterflies dance in the guy's stomach.

"S-sorry…I didn't want to upset you. Actually, it feels great to hear such things about myself".

Nora came closer to him and looked in his face, trying to figure out the reason of his depression.

"What happened, Noel? You seem distant all of a sudden."

The piercing gaze of her emerald eyes was too hard to fight. Even if he wanted to avert his eyes from her, he couldn't.

"Thanks for your care…" he uttered, feeling a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

"Of course I care about you! You are my dear friend!" she wanted to say something more, but bit her tongue just in time, preventing unnecessary words from slipping out.

But Noel's mood got even worse after hearing her last statement. A friend…he was only a friend, a dear but not loved one. Something fell inside of him, and it seemed that his inner mood reflected on his face, because the next moment he found himself in Nora's warm embrace.

"It looks like you need it right now," she said quietly against his skin. Noel was taller, so she had to stand on her tiptoes to reach his neck.

Even knowing that her gesture of encouragement was just a showing of her pity, it was still unbelievably pleasant to be wrapped in her arms. Suddenly he felt an urge to hug her back, to tell her everything he was so afraid of, to let her know about his true identity and to reveal his hidden feeling for her.

He lifted his arms slowly and unsurely and placed them around her slim frame carefully, returning an embrace. He felt as she tightened her grip on him during the action.

"You seem distant and you avoid me. What happened, Noel? Maybe I can help you? Please, tell me what troubles you."

If only he knew how hard it was for her to say those words. Her face was all red from the shyness, from the warmth his body radiated and from those special feelings that were locked inside her heart. But seeing him all lost and lonely was too much for her, that's why she acted so boldly, letting herself hug him and give him the same support he offered her the day Lightning was at the hospital.

"Nora…I need to tell you something important. I am going-"

But a sudden voice interrupted Noel's meaningful speech as the owner of that voice opened the door and showed himself at the backyard the teens were standing.

"Nora, Grandfather has arrived! Where…are….you?" the last words were said in a confused tone, as the lord of the house had just witnessed a scene he refused to believe. "Did I miss anything?" a silver eyebrow arched above an emerald eye, as Hope crossed his arms on his chest and gifted the youth with a very disapproval gaze.

His daughter freed herself from Noel's embrace and jumped away from him, facing her father in embarrassment.

"Oh, it's you, dad! I…I'll go say "hi" to grandfather!" and after babbling that, she ran into the house, passing Hope as fast as she could.

Now there were only two men left. The first one was blushing under a piercing gaze, and the other one was boring a hole in the guy with his stern and sharp eyes.

"So…what was that all about just now?" Hope started in low tone, irritation could be clearly heard in his voice.

If to be honest, Noel was tired of everything and he didn't feel like reporting on everything he did. So instead of giving any explanations to his beloved girl's jealous parent, Kreiss looked up in Hope's eyes and said in a very serious tone.

"I want you send me back as soon as possible."

And for some reason Estheim was satisfied with that request.

In the morning everything was ready to fulfill Noel's wish. When Nora woke up and went downstairs for breakfast, she met only her mother and little sister in the latter's arms. Lightning was reading a newspaper, while sipping her hot tea.

"Where is everyone?" the younger girl asked in bewilderment, taking a seat at the table. It was still early in the morning for her dad to go to work, and Noel…he didn't leave the mansion before wishing her good luck for the day.

"Who exactly are you referring to? " the pink-haired lady demanded, never leaving her eyes from the letters in the article.

"Dad, Noel," the girl shrugged her shoulders. Somehow, she felt something was wrong.

"They left for work."

"But it's 6 in the morning!" Nora exclaimed trying to figure out what her mother was hiding from her. "Mom," her voice turned softer and gained pleading notes, "tell me, did anything happen? Yesterday, dad saw me and Noel hugging each other in the garden, maybe he misunderstood a little…"

Yes, Lightning Estheim knew everything about that little "misunderstanding" as she tried to calm her husband down in their room after the guests left. Hope couldn't take the fact that his daughter was old enough to start dating.

"_It's not about any other guy. It's Noel Kreiss we are talking about! He doesn't belong to this time. He is a stranger here!" Hope tried to disagree with her that night. "I let him stay in our house and what did I get for my hospitality? He made my daughter fall in love with him!" _

"_But it's her life. Do you know anyone who can be a better choice for your daughter? If you don't want to hurt her feelings, talk to her at first. Or maybe, you have just misunderstood everything and they didn't mean anything like that at all," Light's words soothed his temper a little as he sat on the edge of their bed and rubbed his forehead. _

"_I don't know, but it looked like they really enjoyed embracing each other. Anyway, tomorrow will decide everything." He spoke slowly and looked at his confused wife with an insidious smirk. "I am sending Noel back to the future"._

"Did he?" Lightning averted her eyes from the newspaper and placed them on her older child, who looked all confused and unsure. "Do you like Noel?"

That question sounded like a thunder in a cloudless sky. Nora's eyes widened, though it didn't help to hide her sudden blush.

"I…he is a good friend to me," she answered slowly, trying to calm down her rapid heartbeat.

"Well, if that's so, than I assume that you won't be too upset for not telling him goodbye".

The girl narrowed her eyes quizzically, trying to catch the meaning of her mother's words.

"What do you mean?" she asked finally and got a reply she was afraid to hear.

"Noel left. Your dad has sent him back home." Light looked at her daughter seriously and continued "And you will never see him again".

"B-but why? Why didn't he tell me?!" she stood up sharply, pressing her palms to the table for support. "What does it all mean?!"

"If you really want to find the answers, you better hurry. Noel is the only one who can give them to you. So hurry up before he disappeared from your life forever".

Somehow, Light's stern tone didn't sound that frightfully and cold anymore. A mother's care was hidden behind those words and the older woman was glad she could help her daughter to understand a simple thing.

Nora rushed to the front door and took her motorbike. She didn't know why, but she felt that there was no time to waste. She drove to Academy in high speed not thinking about all the fines she would pay later.

Noel was leaving. Why didn't he tell her anything? Wasn't it him who called her _someone precious_ once? Didn't she deserve to know why he decided to leave without telling goodbye?

And her mother said that if he left she would never see him again. A tightening sensation appeared in her chest, when she thought about her life without the guy with the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen in her life. His presence made her happy; his smiles brought encouragement to her. Being with him and have a chance to talk to him made her feeling like a blooming rose. The previous day, she caught herself on a thought that if it wasn't her dad who interrupted their special moment, she would have surrendered to her emotions and kissed Noel. And the kiss wouldn't have been the same you gave to your friends. She wanted to show him that she really cared about him through that kiss. Maybe she was too blind not to see a simple answer to all her musing about what those feelings for Noel could be?

"_I love him!" _The girl cried in her mind, running down a hall of her father's research institute known as Academy. _"And I don't want to lose him!"_

There was only one place they could be.

With a quick movement young Estheim slid her ID card in the lock and flew in the laboratory just in time to stop the guy from stepping inside a glowing giant facility everyone called "time gates".

"NO!"

Noel stopped on his tacks when he heard a heart-rending cry behind him. That voice could belong only to one person. His eyes widened in disbelieve as he turned to look at the girl who became his happiness and sorrow in this time. And the next moment the very girl ran towards him and threw herself in his arms, hugging him tightly and protectively.

"Don't go! Don't leave me, Noel!" she cried and he felt really bad knowing that the reason of her tears was him. "Why didn't you tell me anything? How could you leave without telling me anything?!"

"Nora, please, calm down. Don't cry…" the guy said in a whisper, still fighting his feelings for this girl. "I..I have to go back. I don't belong here, my place is in the future."

She lifted her face from his shoulder and looked at him with determination.

"And my place is beside you! I will go with you wherever and whenever you go!"

"Emm…kids?" but nobody paid any attention to the elder's voice because nobody had a right to interrupt them this time.

"It's too dangerous, Nora!" Noel exclaimed, taking the girl by her shoulders. "You can't imagine how risky life in the future might be! I don't know it myself."

"No, I don't know, but one thing I know for sure. My life will be empty and miserable without you!"

"Young people?" and again Hope's attempt to catch their attention failed, so he just turned off the time gate, sat in his chair, plopped his chin on his knuckle for support and prepared to watch the scene he couldn't prevent.

"B-but why?" Noel looked deep in her teary emerald eyes, trying to find the answer he prayed to hear.

Nora put her palm on his cheek and stroked it gently, never leaving her eyes from his bottomless mirrors of soul.

"Because I love you… you are the only one I want to be with."

The guy's pupils widened after hearing her confession. He was so afraid that his feelings for her would never be returned, and now the object of his affection was telling him that she loved him and didn't want to lose him! His head began spinning from happiness and a sincere smile found its place on his lips as he embraced the dear girl and dig his face in the crook of her neck, inhaling her sweet and unique aroma.

"I love you too". He whispered and felt her grip on him tightening.

Hope didn't say anything after watching that soap-opera scene. He was very upset with the fact that he brought the guy to his house and was the main reason why the love between those two bloomed, but right now he had no one to complain to. He would tell about his sorrows later, when he came back home and have a talk to his wife.

"Actually, I knew it all along," she would say later in their room. "Being Etro's knight gave me lots of abilities and predicting future was one of them".

Hope's jaw dropped on the floor literary, as he pointed through the window at two young people sitting in the garden and smiling at each other.

"And you knew that it would end up like this, didn't you?" he asked his heroine in disbelief and received a nod in response.

3 months later Estheim would ask his wife the same question but in another situation. They would be sitting on a church bench and watching their older daughter and her chosen one giving their vows of love by the altar.

"So, I assume you knew that it would turn out like this too?" Hope said in emotionless tone. Somehow, there was nothing he could get surprised with anymore.

"Yes, I did," Light uttered smiling. She was happy to see her daughter and Noel getting married. They were destined to be together even if that destiny happened upon someone's drunken enthusiasm.

"And do you have anything else that you know will happen in the future?" the leader of the Academy asked slyly, getting closer to his wife's ear. "Mind to tell me?"

"Actually, I do." She turned her head and looked at him with a whirlpool of emotions in her sky-blue eyes. "You are going to be a daddy again. And this time you will get an heir".

His reaction was priceless. His face turned from normal colour to white then to red and after all that chameleon-thing, the man covered his face with his hands to prevent himself from ruining his daughter's wedding by crying his excitement out.

After all, there were still some things that could make Hope Estheim surprised. And Lightning knew them.

The priest's proclamation "You may kiss the bride!" only proved the point, when two young people in love met each other in their first chaste kiss. It was their little mutual arrangement to leave their first kiss for the wedding ceremony. And both kept their promise. For Noel it was a real discovery: when you kissed a person you loved, it felt magical. It was what he felt when he kissed Serah in the past. But when you were kissing someone you loved and your kiss was returned with the same feelings, it felt overwhelmingly fabulous like lots of varicoloured stars flew together in one kaleidoscope of emotions.

And from this moment, that could be considered the past, Noel Kreiss's happy life began…

Sometimes fate indeed brings good jokes with happy endings.

_**A/N So, this is it. The last chapter and the happy ending. ^.^ It was fun to write this story and portraying Hope as a jealous and overprotective parent, who brought those two together with his own hands haha. Thanks for reading! Now we are waiting for your feedbacks, guys! Please, don't make us wait for too long! We want to know your opinion~**_

_**Hmm…maybe we will write another FF13-2 fic, but it will be fully dedicated to Light and Hope. We have an idea but we are not sure if we are going to write it fast, since the plot is romantic/dramatic and will have no humor =.= So, if you are interested, drop us some lines to let us know, okay?**_

_**Again thank you for reading! Please, review! **_

_**Sincerely yours,**_

_**Kit2000 and Anna**_

_**12.11.2012**_


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